HF Scope

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Scope:

What is the scope of Human Factors?

Who is studying Human Factors and where are they studying it?

Human Factors is widely pursued at many universities, research institutions, and industry companies. Many of the Universities group Human Factors research under one or many of: cognitive psychology, human computer interaction, ergonomics (European term). Many research institutions contributing to the Human Factors literature are part of the Government. In particular, NASA and the Department of Defense have strong research efforts in human factors for aviation, the original area in which human factors as a formal study originated. Many industry companies might have a small group of human factors specialists to help them with their product design.

How much Human Factors literature is there?

Most of the Human Factors literature deals with specific industries and applications of Human Factors. For instance, there is a large amount of literature produced by NASA and the military about Human Factors in aviation and aircraft control. There is also an increasing amount of literature about Human Computer Interaction. The most comprehensive source of information about the field of Human Factors is the Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFS), published from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

How much structured Human Factors design is actually used in products?

Human Factors principles are applied in probably every product that is engineered for humans. However, human factors as a specific element of the design process is quite clearly used in fewer areas. The design of cockpits in the military almost always involves a Human Factors analysis. Increasingly, large software companies that hire Human Factors specialists design their software using formal Human Factors principles. Smaller companies might use more heuristic approaches to design, rather than employ Human Factors specialists.

What mistakes are commonly made when using Human Factors principles?

Applying Human Factors principles is inherently an inexact process. Certain principles need to be prioritized and emphasized ahead of others, and the choice of which principles are more important for a given product is a subjective decision. Hence, there is no right answer. But there are solutions that are better than others. Perhaps the biggest mistake in Human Factors design is undertesting or ignoring user feedback. Human Factors principles inherently apply in an iterative processes, and the iteration should be comprehensive as well as thorough to ensure the best results for the ultimate end users..

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